REVIEW OF OUR 2001 Excursion Limited… as it was purchased new

EX- Excellent      VG - Very Good      G - Good      F - Fair      P - Poor     

Fit and Finish:
VG: Door, hood and tailgate
EX: Interior

Noise:
VG: Engine noise (Can only hear Diesel with radio and heat off, and then barely)
EX: Road noise (Quiet as any luxury sedan. Can easily speak softly from front seats back to third row passengers
                           at 75 mph)
EX: Wind noise
VG: Drivetrain
OK: Suspension (slight clunk over bumps, but nothing very serious)

Operation:
VG: Power
VG: Economy (Takes a lot on short trips, before engine properly warms. This is a "Diesel specific" trait, not
                         just this application)
VG: Performance, Acceleration
G:    Steering (tight and quick… almost "too" quick for a big vehicle, but not bad once getting used to it)
VG: Ride (Very comfortable. More like a 1/2-ton truck)
F:    Handling (Unsecure feeling when making quick maneuvers at highway speeds. Uneasy wobbling sensation,
                      however it takes on corners very well and once the suspension is pre-loaded, it becomes relatively stable)
VG: Comfort (Seats are firm yet form fitting, front and rear heater brings 30 degree temps up to 90 in no time!)
G:    Visibility (sit up high and good side window viewing, but the wide Drivers "A" pillar hides a lot during turning
VG: Instrumentation (as always, could really use a trans temp gauge to keep that big expensive automatic alive)

Accessories:
VG: Rear power quarter windows
EX: Towing mirrors (Large mirror surface lets you really see a lot behind you)
P:    Lack of auto lamps
VG: Radio (Premium sound, very loud with minimal; distortion. Quality compares to the best of them. 6 CD
                   in-dash changer is great!
VG: HD receiver hitch standard feature with prewired plug. Really nice not to have to do all this later.
VG: Prewired electric brake plug under dash with accompanying harness to tie into your supplied brake controller

Towing:
F:    Handling (Very unsecure feeling when making quick maneuvers at highway speeds. Trailer pushes rear of truck.
                         Mostly due to soft factory tires )
VG: Ride (Very comfortable. Hardly know the trailer's back there (10,000 lbs, 32' enclosed car trailer)
VG: Power (Pulls up hills with ease even in stock factory trim)
F:    Shifting (Transmission way too soft giving the feeling of slippage between gears under power)

Comments:
After the first 1,000 miles there was a notable increase in performance and power, measuring nearly 31% in some cases! A measured distance run initially revealed that it took 39 mph to cover the course, and after 1,000 miles later the same course was tested again and the speed came in at 51 mph at the end of the measured distance. This was with no modifications yet installed.